The present invention relates to machines and methods for mixing fluid compounds in open-topped containers. More specifically, it is an apparatus for handling large open-topped containers that have been preloaded with an unmixed or partially mixed compound. Further, it is an apparatus for stirring these compounds efficiently and safely within these containers to homogenize the compounds.
Certain fluid compounds, such as paints, texture paints, wallboard jointing compounds and the like, are manufactured through a process wherein most but not in all of the ingredients are deposited into industrial sized containers at the point of manufacturing. Commercial customers, such as painting and plastering contractors, prefer to purchase these compounds in such high-volume containers for economy, consistency, and ease of use. Plastic five-gallon pails are commonly used for this purpose.
The use of such large containers can pose a burden for the manufacturer since each container necessitates the dedication and storage of so much valuable inventory. For this reason, manufacturers generally load only those ingredients common to all variations of a given compound into the pails at the time of initial manufacture. More dedicated ingredients, such as color pigments, can be added later, at the time of sale of an individual pail or a certain sized lot of pails.
After loading the unmixed or incomplete ingredients into the pails, they are covered and stored in this incomplete state until such time as it is necessary to add those dedicated ingredients.
Texture paint, for example, might be originally prepared in a natural base color, allowing the manufacturing facility to make an entire production run in that natural color and store the uncolored paint from which any final color can be created. Then, if the manufacturer gets an order for a certain quantity of this texture paint in a specified color, he only needs to add the appropriate pigments to the exact number of pails ordered, and to mix that pigment into only those pails.
Alternatively, the manufacturer often wholesales these uncolored pails in pallet quantities to retailers who mix the pigments into individual pails as the pails are purchased by contractors, much the same way that pigments are mixed into one gallon buckets for sale to consumers.
There are several drawbacks to the use of such large pails. First, they are heavy and may not fit within standard mixing machines. Second, such large pails full of such viscous compounds as texture paint do not properly mix when shaken as does ordinary paint, the contents must be stirred for full homogenization to occur. Third, the complete and expedient stirring of such viscous compounds in such large pails into a fully homogenized state is neither easy nor efficient with existing machinery. Fourth, the stirring of such compounds and weight of the pails present safety concerns. Fifth, the stirring of such compounds is inherently messy and the resulting mess is difficult to clean-up. And sixth, stirring generally poses a likelihood of cross-contamination between batches when the stirring blade carries ingredients from one pail into the next.
The present invention is an apparatus for handling large pails of viscous compounds and for thoroughly and expediently stirring these compounds into a fully homogenous state. More specifically, it is an apparatus adapted to safely handle and securely hold a multitude of large and heavy open-topped pails, to load ingredients into these pails, and to stir the ingredients within these pails into a fully homogenized state. Further, the apparatus is adapted for simple removal and easy cleaning of the stirring components, to minimize mess and to eliminate cross contamination.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for the safe and easy handling of such large pails.
It is another object to mix the compounds within the pails thoroughly, evenly, and rapidly.
It is another object to reduce the mess that normally results from mixing such compounds and to simplify clean-up.
It is another object to eliminate cross-contamination when stirring later batches of compounds having different ingredients.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be best appreciated and more fully understood in reference to the herein described preferred embodiment and the appended drawings, of which the following is a brief description.